Steam iron soleplate with separate steaming and drying areas

ABSTRACT

A steam iron soleplate divided into at least one steaming area having a plurality of steam outlets and at least one drying area having one or more grooves but free of steam outlets. The grooves are arranged in a network of furrows defining a pattern of raised lands.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is relative to a steam iron soleplate comprisingdistinct steaming and drying zones.

1. Prior Art

Originally, ironing was effectuated simply with heat and a mechanicalaction. This was the era of pressing stones up to that of dry irons.However, the need for efficiency and practical observation of phenomenalead certain homemakers to interpose, between the dry iron and thegarment, a fabric impregnated with water to improve the quality and thespeed of the pressing. This was the establishment of the utilization ofthe “damp cloth”.

With the arrival of technologies for rapidly producing steam, there werecreated the so-called “steam” irons which permitted, as a result analmost ideal heat carrier, achievement of the moistening of the fibersat the same time as their heating in a very short time, practically inthe same time as the application of the mechanical smoothing action.

It has been realized subsequently that this injection of steam left,however, significant residual moisture in the fabric. It is in effecteasy to note in the course of ironing that a piece of material,considered to have been pressed and which after folding is put downbefore being put away, retains significant residual moisture andsometimes requires a non-negligible drying time in a pile before beingable to be put away.

The patent DE 452559 relates to a steam iron whose lower soleplate isdivided into a first flat forward steaming area having a plurality ofsteam outlets, and a second rear pressing area normally blocked by asoleplate closing a heated air chamber. Based on the observation thatthis rear soleplate maintains moisture in the fabric, it is proposed towithdraw it in order to only leave two transverse pressing rollers, theheated air then directly ensuring a simultaneous drying.

However, the first soleplate being slightly inclined toward to thefront, flattening of the article can only be approximate. Above all,heating of the fabric solely by mixing with heated air has been found tobe too slow to achieve an efficient drying.

The document SU 1796718 discloses a steam iron soleplate provided withfour steam outlet channels arranged in a chevron, or herringbone,pattern with the tips oriented toward the front and opening onto lateraledges. Thus, steaming is limited to the level of these channels, theexcess steam naturally being evacuated at the sides, thus leaving therest of the smooth soleplate assigned to pressing and drying.

However, the herringbone form of these channels causes the steam to nottruly have the time to achieve its moistening task during forwardmovement of the iron, this steam being in fact evacuated too rapidlytoward the exterior. In addition, these herringbones being distributedon the totality of the soleplate, drying is hardly achieved before a newmoistening is effectuated.

An iron soleplate according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from thedocument EP 621365.

More particularly, the document EP 621365 discloses a steam ironsoleplate comprising, from its tip to its heel, a first steam areacomprising lateral steam outlets and central steam outlets supplied bytwo chambers, followed by a first drying area free of steam outlets andextending transversely between the lateral edges of the soleplate, thenfollowed by a second steam area extending equally transversely betweenthe lateral edges and in which open lateral steam outlets supplied bythe same chamber as well as central steam outlets supplied from thelateral outlets via longitudinal and transverse channels; this secondsteam area being itself followed by a second drying area free of steamoutlets and extending also over all of the remaining rear surface of thesoleplate.

According to the patentee, this distribution of drying and steam areasequally avoids, during pressing, a useless excessive moistening of thearticles, and permits performance of a double action thus assuring abetter smoothing: articles are during a first time stretched thensteamed, then dried and in a second time again steamed then dried.

However, in reality, the smooth heating areas have been found to be toosmall and too close to the steam areas in order to truly observe athorough drying and as a result one re-moistens an area impregnated bythe first moistening. One then observes that too many creases remain“rounded” and hold for too short a time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first object of the present inventions is to optimize pressing,particularly by substantially improving the fixing of the flatness or ofthe form of the desired creases by a distinctly more efficient drying.

These goals are achieved by a steam iron soleplate divided into at leastone steaming area comprising a plurality of steam outlets, and at leastone drying area that does not contain steam outlets, the drying areahaving one or several grooves, characterized in that the totality ofgrooves is in the form of a network of furrows defining a pattern ofraised lands.

After an extensive study of the pressing mechanism, it has beenrecognized that the fixation of the flatness or of the form of thedesired crease is effectuated under the effect of heat removing moistureby heating of the fabric. Now, it has been noted that steam isaccumulated at the center of the soleplate then is displaced towards therear with the advance of the iron to form a pneumatic cushion. Thiscushion then has a tendency to lightly raise this rear drying zone, thushampering the transfer of heat to the article while maintaining a highmoisture level.

The first function of these grooves is then to limit the effect of thisaccumulation of steam between the surfaces in contact, and this incontaining it mainly in its volume. The rear heating surface can thencome in complete contact with the fabric for an efficient heating.

According to the invention, the set of grooves is present in the form ofa network of furrows defining a pattern of raised lands, this networkcontaining a major part of the steam cushion which it evacuates via theedges. Preferably, the furrows present a width comprised between 0.1 and2 mm with a depth comprised between 0.005 and 1 mm. Equally preferably,the spacing of the furrows is such that the surface of the lands iscomprised between 0.5 and 50 mm².

Due to this network of furrows, the bothersome steam cushion is veryrapidly dissipated. In addition, the roughness of the drying surfaceinduced by these furrows adds a mechanical pulling and smoothing effectto the fibers at the moment of evaporation of residual moisture, leavingby this effect a perfectly flat article.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the network of furrows definesa pattern of circular or polygonal lands, these configurationspermitting a particularly freely flowing circulation of the steamtowards the rear then outside of the soleplate.

Usefully, the surface of the lands in contact with the fabric isstructured in the form of submillimeter reliefs permitting at themacroscopic level a mechanical action on the fiber to be combined withan increase in the contact surface improving accordingly heattransmission from the hot soleplate toward the fabric.

Alternatively, or in combination, the grooves are present in the form ofsteam evacuation channels having a width comprised between 1 and 10 mmwith a depth comprised between 0.1 and 1 mm. Advantageously, thechannels are oblique from the center toward the rear of the soleplatewhere they open.

These channels permits collection of the steam, notably that dissipatedat the center of the network, to evacuate it as rapidly as possibletowards the rear and thus prevents all formation of an undesiredpneumatic cushion. This oblique arrangement toward the rear particularlyfacilitates evacuation of the steam during advance of the iron.

Usefully a cavity is arranged at the middle of the boundary between theforward steam area and the rear drying area and the channels place thiscentral cavity in communication with the lateral or rear edges of thedrying area.

The presence of channels in this heating zone permits the steam tocirculate in the direction from the central overpressure toward theenvironment on the edges or the rear. By this fact, the correspondingpart of the fabric contains less residual steam and thus less condensedwater.

Advantageously, the drying zone forms between ⅔ and ⅓ of the soleplate.Thus, during a normal forward progression of the iron, the fabric issubstantially dried as much as it has been moistened.

Another object of the present invention is an iron soleplate in whichthe structure of the steaming area is designed in relation with that ofthe drying area in such a manor as to optimize the synergy of therespective functions during pressing.

This object is achieved by the fact that in combination with a reardrying area presenting one or several steam evacuation grooves, thefront steaming area comprises a network of longitudinal reliefs forflattening fibers and guiding the steam.

During a thorough study of the pressing mechanism, it was recognizedthat the major portion of the smoothing and flattening of fiber iseffectuated for the most part by the forward steam area, and this allthe more so if this area is the most moist and hottest. Above all, thepointed form and the sharp angle of attack of the soleplate on thearticle in this zone create a “ridge effect” permitting a mechanicalsmoothing action in the direction of advancement of the iron on thearticle.

The additional longitudinal reliefs under this forward area multiplyfirst of all this ridge effect in operating in the manner of smoothing“rounded edge knives”. This amplification is more pronounced as thereliefs guide the moistening steam and the heating for a controlleddistribution on the totality of the article, and as the reliefs areequally heated by this guided steam. Finally, this steam is conducted ina predetermined manner into the rear second area where it isintentionally dissipated in the furrows and ejection channels to permitassuring a good contact between the surfaces of the heating lands andthe fabric.

It is certainly known from the documents EP 378479 and EP 457689 toprovide pressing irons whose enameled soleplate is complated by thinrectangular reliefs that are arranged longitudinally and in parallelwith one another. These reliefs are produced by either silk screening ofenamel bands, or by molding and/or machining then enamel coating.However, these longitudinal reliefs have essentially been conceived topermit a reduction of the contact surface of the soleplate with thetextiles to be ironed, and thus to reduce the friction coefficient,which improves the “slidability” of the iron. At the most, it has beennoted incidentally that these bands simultaneously create channelsseveral microns in depth assuring a relative longitudinal diffusion ofthe steam in the totality of the soleplate. In contrast, the possibilityof multiplying the ridge effect by more accentuated reliefs for a betterflattening is not in any way foreseen.

According to a preferred embodiment, the height of the longitudinalreliefs is comprised between 0.05 and 0.5 mm starting from a baselocated between 0 and 0.5 mm above a plane of contact of the drying areawith a fabric to be pressed, this plane of contact being taken as areference plane.

As a function of the construction of the soleplate and of its particularintended use, one can either establish an elevated base with the lowerextremity of the reliefs at a level with the plane of drying contact inorder to tend to promote a channeling function of these reliefs, or toestablish a base at the same level as the plane of contact and of theprotruding reliefs to promote a mechanical ridge effect function, or aslightly elevated base with reliefs that are sufficiently high tocombine the two functions.

Usefully, the longitudinal reliefs can have a corrugated form toincrease the transverse ridge effect with respect to the direction ofnormal advance of the soleplate, and to slow the progression of thesteam by a baffle effect for an effective moistening with less steam.

When the distribution of the steam outlets is effected along two opposedarcs each extending along one side of the tip of the soleplate thenreturning toward the center, it is found preferable to produce aboundary in the form of a V between the front first area provided withreliefs and the rear second area with lands. In this configuration, thelateral tongues of the heating lands assure a minimum drying of thearticle even when the soleplate is advanced sideways.

When the distribution of the steam outlets is effected along two opposedarcs each extending only along one side of the tip of the soleplate, itis found useful to provide a boundary in the form of an inverted V or aW between the front first area provided with reliefs and the rear secondarea with lands. The central tongue then initiates the heating phase atan early stage to optimize accordingly the drying.

It is an order to note that a pressing iron is normally considered aconsumer product which has to be marketed at a low price. Thesubstantial costs foreseeable at the beginning to create a complex threedimensional soleplate can then only be dissuasive. However, certaintechniques for obtaining reliefs by molding of aluminum under pressure,or by molding of stainless steel plates, or even by silk screen printingfor thin reliefs, permit the costs to be maintained at a reasonablelevel in view of the remarkable increase in the pressing efficiency.This efficiency is that much more pronounced when the front and rearareas are simultaneously structured according to their individualcharacteristics taking into account a functional synergy while theadditional cost to simultaneously fabricate a second area is low sincethe same technique is utilized as for the first structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood from a study of the embodimentsgiven by way of non-limiting example and illustrated in the attachedfigures in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of an iron soleplatehave two distinct areas of steaming then of drying,

FIG. 2 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the rear dryingarea of the soleplate of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of a soleplate,

FIG. 5 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the forwardsteaming area of the soleplate of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the rear dryingarea of the soleplate of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a third embodiment of a soleplate.

BEST MANNER OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

On FIG. 1 is shown the exterior face of a soleplate 10 of a steam ironcomprising a front first steaming area 20 and a second rear drying area30.

In this first example, the configuration of the front area 20 is similarto that of existing iron soleplates. This soleplate is here present inthe form of a heating plane substantially in the form of a diamondhaving rounded edges and corners, and into which open a plurality ofsteam outlets 13. This set of openings is arranged along two arcs facingone another, each of these arcs commencing by bordering the edges of thefront tip up to the median part, then returning progressively toward thecenter, these arcs being symmetrical with respect to the longitudinalaxis.

The lateral edges of this soleplate 10 present a sharp angle to thevertical in order to form, in combination with the front tip, ridgesutilized to smooth the fabric being pressed.

The surface of this front area can be of smooth stainless steel or ofaluminum coated with enamel. In this illustrated example, there havebeen formed two straight, thin, longitudinal reliefs by silk screendeposition of complementary enamel layers, these reliefs promotingsliding of this area.

More particularly, according to the invention, this soleplate 10 iscompleted by a rear area 30 used for drying, the state and morphology ofthe surface of which are carefully designed at the same time to multiplythe ridge effect and to augment the real exchange surface between thefibers of the fabric and the material of the soleplate.

More specifically, this surface of the soleplate is composed of a set ofhexagonal lands 34 in relief separated by furrows 33 intended to limitthe accumulation of steam between the contact surfaces of the soleplateand the fabric. As better shown in FIG. 2, the cross section of thefurrows 33 have a width “ls” comprised between 0.1 and 2 mm and a depth“hs” comprised between 0.005 and 1 mm. These furrows define lands 34having a width “is” of the order of 0.8 to 8 mm, or a contact surfacewith the fabric 5 varying between 0.5 and 50 mm².

In addition, and as is more visible in FIG. 3, the surface state of thepart of the lands intended to be in contact with fabric 5 flat on thetable 1 is itself reworked to constitute a set of rounded submillimetermini-reliefs 38. The thickness “hp” of these mini-reliefs is comprisedbetween one-tenth and one-half of the depth “hs” of the furrows 33.

As illustrated, the boundary 15 between the front area 20 and the reararea 30 is present substantially in the form of a V, i.e., the frontarea 30 comprises two lateral tongues bordering the rear second half ofthe area 20. The surface area of the front part 20 is here approximatelyequivalent to that of the rear part 30.

During use of an iron furnished with a soleplate 10, the front area 20permits, due to its hot surface and the ejection of steam, heating andmoistening of the fabric fibers permitting, with the combined action ofmechanical flattening effectuated by the sharp edges, to achieve asmoothing and a flattening of the fabric. Throughout the progressiveadvance of the iron, an area of smoothed fabric and its surroundingsteam are found under the rear area 30 having lands. This steam isdissipated among furrows 33 so that the end surfaces of the lands 34 arefound in good contact with the fabric in order to effectively transmitthereto heat by conduction. In addition, the mini-reliefs 38 of thelands 34 permit combining at the microscopic level a mechanicalsmoothing action on the fiber with a still larger contact surfaceimproving accordingly the thermal transmission of this latter.Simultaneously, the steam circulating within furrows 33 escapes at theopen sides of the network.

Soleplate 10 is normally expected to be advanced along its medianlongitudinal axis in such a manor that an area of fabric to be pressedfirst encounters the front steaming area 20, then the rear drying area30, a logical ironing sequence. In this case, the V-shaped form of theboundary 15 has the result that, in the case where soleplate 10 isdisplaced crosswise, an area of the fabric is always seen to pass thesteaming area 20, but equally just the same a portion of the drying area30 constituted by one of the lateral tongues.

FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of a soleplate 11 of an ironwhich is more developed to the extent that the front area 21 iscompleted by accentuated elongated reliefs 23 in combination with a reararea 31 equally having a network of furrows 33 defining lands 34.

This front area 21 comprises first of all a plurality of steam outlets13 arranged on the one hand along two arcs bordering the edges of thefront tip of soleplate 11 and on the other hand along a central groupsituated close to the front merging of the two arcs.

Above all and as is more visible in FIG. 5, this front area 21 isprovided with straight relief lines 23 here oriented in the direction ofnormal advance of the soleplate. These continuous or partiallyinterrupted reliefs multiply accordingly the ridge effect utilized forflattening the fiber during its smoothing. These reliefs simultaneousaid a circulation of the steam from the front toward the rear, notablyby guiding in the passages 24 laterally defined by each pair of adjacentreliefs, as well as by the surface to the soleplate and the fabric 5flat on the table 1 situated between two adjacent reliefs.

As is better seen in FIG. 5, these reliefs 33 are relativelyaccentuated, i.e., their height “hr” is comprised between 0.05 and 0.5mm. These reliefs can present a rectangular or triangular cross-sectionoriented toward the bottom, their lower edge being, however, rounded toavoid any risk of premature wear of the fabric. The interval “ir” ofthese reliefs can be of the order of 1 to 10 mm.

In considering as reference plane “po” of the soleplate 11, the contactplane of the lands 34 of the rear area 31 with the fabric 5, such asillustrated in FIG. 6, the base of the reliefs 23 can be either levelwith this plane “po” for a first edge function of smoothing, or beslightly elevated to obtain instead a first function of guiding passagefor the steam.

In reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, the rear area 31 comprises first of all anetwork of furrows 35 defining a pattern of hexagonal lands 34 identicalto those described previously with respect to FIG. 1. However, in thisversion, this rear area 31 is completed by channels 42 in the form ofchevrons with the peak oriented toward the front, i.e., oblique lateralbranches oriented from the central part toward the lateral or rear edgesof the soleplate. These channels are made hollow with respect to thereference plane “po” with a rectangular or trapezoidal passagecross-section, with a depth “he” that can go from 0.1 to 1 mm and awidth “lc” comprised between 1 to 10 mm. This arrangement of channels isorganized so that the collection and the evacuation of steam duringadvancement of the iron on the fabric 5 is optimum, no area escapingpassage by these channels, then passage by heating parts formed solelyby the furrows 33.

As more visible in FIG. 4, the relief area 21 constitutes about theforward third of soleplate 1, and a smooth central area 40 is arrangedat the middle of the boundary between the front area 21 and the reararea 31. This central area 40, substantially circular, or even oval inthe direction of advancement of the soleplate, gives the forward area 21a form of an arrowhead. This area 40 can be at the level of thereference plane “po” of contact of the lands 34 with the fabric, orslightly hollow to form a cavity.

These reliefs and furrows can be obtained by numerous known means:stamping, silk screen or stamping deposition, machining, even molding,and this simultaneously or separately.

During use of this soleplate, the part of the fabric located under frontarea 21 moistened and heated by the accumulation of steam whose escapetoward the edges is limited, is subjected to the mechanical effects ofrubbing and smoothing amplified by the size of the longitudinal reliefs23. In this area, the height of the reliefs is such that the contactwith the fabric is not in any way affected by the thickness of the steamcushion created at this level.

This quantity of steam thus directed from the front to the rear is foundduring progression of the iron to be accumulated toward the centernotably at the level of the area 40, then toward the rear of thesoleplate where there will be created a “steam cushion” phenomenontending to slightly separate the soleplate from the fabric, thisseparation being regulated in advance by lateral escape of the steamtoward the edges of the soleplate.

This steam accumulated under the central and rear parts achieves anoverpressure because of at least three factors. The first is thepresence of the residual steam produced by a first generation byexpulsion from the outlets 13 in front area 21. This residual steamcomprises particularly the remainder of the steam which has not beenable to penetrate the fabric due to a loss of pressure occasioned by thepassage of the fabric; this phenomenon called “counter pressure” variesaccording to whether the surface on which ironing takes place isimpermeable or porous. A second factor is the presence of secondgeneration steam, i.e., that which is created by the hot surface of therear area re-vaporizing the water condensed in the fibers of the fabric,originating from the vapor ejected in the front area. This production ofvapor adds to the preceding. The third factor is the pressure with whichthe housewife bears on the iron.

The presence of the network of furrows 33 and above all of the channels42 in the rear area 31 permits this substantial quantity of steam tocirculate in the direction from the central overpressure toward the freeenvironment at the lateral edges. By this fact, the corresponding partof the fabric contains less residual steam, thus less re-condensedwater, and the surface of the lands 34 can effectively be in contactwith the fabric 5.

On FIG. 7 is illustrated a third variant of an ironing soleplate 12whose front area 22 in the form of an arrowhead is followed by a reararea 32 with lands 36 presenting a central tongue advancing in themiddle of the front area 22, the boundary between the two areas thusbeing in the form of a W. The surface areas of the areas 22 and 32 arehere substantially identical.

In this example, the reliefs 24 of the front area have a sinusoidal formadding a ridge effect of transverse smoothing in addition to thelongitudinal smoothing. Moreover, the lands 36 of the rear area are herecircular, the furrows 35 are then present in the form of a squarepattern of cruciform design with concave arms. In this case, the surfacearea of the furrows 35 is practically identical to that of the circularlands 36.

The invention is not in any way strictly limited to the examples ofembodiments described previously, but encompasses numerous modificationsor improvements. Notably, the reliefs of the front area can bediscontinuous, for example, by being presented in the form of aplurality of segments oriented at 45° and interwoven in staggered rowsthus presenting as much ridge effects in the longitudinal direction asin the transverse. Alternatively, these reliefs can be curved andoriented toward the interior to contain the steam or, conversely,oriented toward the exterior to very rapidly eject this steam wellbefore the rear drying area.

In addition to the circular or hexagonal forms illustrated for thedrying lands, one can equally envision other forms such as diamonds ordiscs which are alternately concave and convex or other examples offorms already utilized for floor tiling.

One can equally envision that the front steaming and rear drying areasare heated by individual electrical resistances, regulated at distinctlyassigned temperatures.

POSSIBILITIES OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

The invention finds its application in the field of steam irons.

What is claimed is:
 1. Steam iron soleplate (10, 11, 12) divided into atleast one steaming area (20, 21, 22) comprising a plurality of steamoutlets (13), and at least one drying area (30, 31, 32) free of steamoutlets, the drying area presenting one or several grooves (33, 35, 42),characterized in that a set of grooves is present in the form of anetwork of furrows (33, 35) defining a pattern of raised lands (34, 36).2. A soleplate according to claim 1, characterized in that the furrowshave a width comprised between 0.1 and 2 mm with a depth comprisedbetween 0.005 and 1 mm.
 3. A soleplate according to claim 1,characterized in that the surface of the lands (34, 36) is comprisedbetween 0.5 and 50 mm².
 4. A soleplate according to claim 1,characterized in that the network of furrows defines a pattern ofcircular (36), polygonal (34) lands.
 5. A soleplate according to claim1, characterized in that the surface of the lands (34, 36) is structuredin the form of submillimeter reliefs (38).
 6. A sole plate according toclaim 1, characterized in that the grooves are present in the form ofchannels (42) for evacuation of steam having a width comprised between 1and 10 mm, with a depth comprised between 0.1 and 1 mm.
 7. A soleplateaccording to claim 6, characterized in that the channels (42) areoblique from the center toward the rear of the soleplate where theyopen.
 8. A soleplate according to claim 7, characterized in that acavity (40) is arranged at the middle of the boundary between the frontsteaming area (21) and the rear drying area (31), and in that thechannels (42) place this central cavity in communication with thelateral or rear edges of the drying area.
 9. A soleplate according toclaim 1, characterized in that the drying area (30, 31, 32) formsbetween ⅔ and ⅓ or the soleplate (11, 12).
 10. A soleplate according toclaim 1, characterized in that the front steaming area (20, 21, 22)comprises a network of longitudinal reliefs (23, 24) for flatteningfiber and guiding the steam.
 11. A soleplate according to claim 10,characterized in that the height (hr) of the longitudinal reliefs (23,24) is comprised between 0.05 and 0.5 mm starting from a base situatedbetween 0 and 0.5 mm above the plane (po) of contact of the drying area(30, 31, 32) with a fabric to be pressed.
 12. A soleplate according toclaim 10, characterized in that the longitudinal reliefs (22, 23) havean undulating form.
 13. A soleplate according to claim 12, characterizedin that the boundary between the first front steaming area (20) and thesecond rear drying area (30) is in a V, in an inverted V or in a W.